Good private secondary girls school with but not hard entry exams

[Zontik]

Hello!

We are applying to several private schools that have many candidates per place, like City of London Girls, South Hampstead High School, Wimbledon High School, Guildford High School, Queen's Gate School.

But we need an escape option just in case we don't do very well in exams/interview.

Can you advice of couple of still good private schools, but with easier entry in central London or south-west area?

Many thanks...

Sorry, forgot to say: preferably non-religious school

That's five already though isn't it? And very geographically disparate. I'm wondering where could possibly be an easy commute to both Guildford and SHHS.

Isn't Queen's Gate a bit easier than the rest so could be your backup?

Sorry not very helpful. More House, Radnor, Kew seem to crop up as easier ones, I think.

Priors Field?

Thanks for your responses!

We will move to live close to the school where my DD will get into (we now live in Surbiton). But it needs to be not too far for us to commute to the City/Canary Wharf and still a respectable place for a family to live.

Yes, Queen's Gate looked easier to me, I need to find couple of schools like this one.

Radnor house (Twickenham) - we visited couple of years ago, good for boys, but not for girls (as per my opinion).

Priors Field - boarding, somebody told me boarding schools are not good for those who don't board

If you currently live in Surbiton you have so much choice - Norte Dame, St Catherine's Twickenham, Tormead, St Teresa's Effingham and surely Surbiton High?

Sunshine5050 , thanks for Tormead - will check it!
We do prefer non-religious schools.
Surbiton High has gone down in last years, most of good staff left. Perhaps with the new head it will improve some day.

Yes Tormead is a fantastic school and easy to get to on the train from surbiton. SHS had amazing A Level results this year but I do think it's big, Also look at Sir William Perkins in Chertsey too.

Surbiton High has gone down in last years, most of good staff left

really? Their A level results were stellar!

For "easier" schools to get into re number of applicants per place look at Sir William Perkins, St Catherines, Notre Dame.
Marymount? I don't know much about it.

or move to waldegrave catchment?

I don't understand the surbiton comment. Results were excellent this year.

Surbiton High has gone down in last years, most of good staff left. Perhaps with the new head it will improve some day.

Don't be too quick to dismiss it. Our local school had appalling results. New head came in, turned the whole place around within two years and it now gets better results than the local 'good' school!

More House, Queens College and Francis Holland Sloane Square are slightly easier to get into.

St Catherine's Twickenham, St James Girls, St Augustine Ealing, thames Christian college, st Johns Leatherhead, Boxhill.
Surbiton High is the obvious one not on your original list

If you are considering coed Ewell Castle might be worth a look.

Portland Place?

I have PM you OP. My daughter attends an all girls boarding school as a day girl. It's half boarding roughly and she is having a great time. She has a cross section of friends, other day girls and borders. I wouldn't dismiss a boarding school on the basis your daughter won't be boarding, it very much depends on the school and how they integrate them.

Not everything is measured by A-level results. Surbiton High is becoming less and less pleasant place to study (I mean the atmosphere and the managing staff).

Waldegrave - too late to move and I heard horrible stories about people who did move and were told that they moved on purpose to get into the school and were refused place.

Hi OP

Might be worth looking at:

King Alfred
More House
North Bridge House
Portland Place

Zontik - which schools did you apply to finally? and which one did you choose?

St Catherine's - although it's a church school, they take a good proportion of non-Christians and don't push religion intrusively. They also get good results without hothousing their pupils.

Zontik, may I ask what your beef is with SHS? I hear amazing things. Yes it’s big but also has the facilities to go with it... I’d be interested to hear what your concerns are?

Mamma, Zontik's remarks are nearly two years old so perhaps she has got over whatever it was and you might get more up-to-date answers if you have concerns, by starting a new thread?

jeane16 you are very wrong indeed to say that Francis Holland is easier to get into that other Independent girls schools!
There was a time when it was considered a ‘safety school’ but those days are long gone.
The new head has turned the school around, and then some!
It is now very competitive and producing excellent results while also having an outstanding approach to all aspects of education and wellbeing

Sorry, when I said competitive, I meant there’s a lot of competition for places

Gree - Jeane16 said that two years ago. This is an old thread.

Does no one ever look at the dates of the posts??